Proofs of God’s Existence: A Theological Perspective

Posted on Dec 18, 2024 in Philosophy and ethics

Evidence of Proof of the Existence of God

Theological Distinction

Supernatural theology considers God as an object that can only be known through divine revelation. Natural theology views God as the first cause of all beings. It must have two parts:

  • One that demonstrates the existence of God.
  • One that considers the nature of God and their main attributes.

The Provability of the Existence of God

Can it be demonstrated that God exists? This question can be answered negatively. If the answer is positive or negative, two reasons can be given:

  • There is no need to prove the existence of God, as it is evident.
  • The existence of God cannot be demonstrated; we lack the resources to do so.

Regarding the first reason, a proposition is said to be immediately evident when its predicate is included in the definition of the subject of the proposition. In the proposition “God exists,” the predicate is included in the definition of the subject, God. Therefore, God’s existence is self-evident and does not need demonstration.

Thomas Aquinas distinguishes two types of self-evident propositions: those that are evident in themselves but not for us, and those that are evident for us. If we know the content of the subject and predicate, the proposition may be evident in itself. However, if we ignore the content of the subject and predicate, or just the subject, the proposition may be evident in itself but not for us. The proposition “God exists” is evident in itself, as the existence of God is the same species, but it is not obvious to us. Therefore, if we want to know whether God exists, we must use a demonstration. The demonstration of the existence of God is necessary.

It is about proving that the proposition “God exists” is true. The demonstration classes, according to Aristotle and specified by the scholasticism of his time, are:

  1. Demonstration “propter quid” seeks the cause from the cause and is done independently of experience.
  2. Demonstration “quia” seeks the cause from the effect and depends on experience.

Regarding the second reason, the position is as follows: given that God is not evident, it is necessary to prove their existence a posteriori, that is, through their effects. All of God’s effects are finite, while God is infinite. Therefore, there is no way to prove that God exists. Given the disproportion of the effects to a cause, one cannot have perfect knowledge of it. However, from any effect, it can be demonstrated that the cause exists. Thus, we can demonstrate the existence of God through their effects; if the cause did not exist, neither would such effects.

The Demonstration of the Existence of God

The general scheme of the “viae” (ways) is as follows:

  1. A starting point that is always a fact of experience.
  2. The application of the principle of efficient causality.
  3. According to this principle, it is impossible to proceed to infinity in a series of essentially subordinate causes.
  4. The arrival point is the existence of God, reached in each case consistently with the starting point.

Dynamic Ways: These are supported by the limitation of beings. This limitation has two aspects: the time limitation (they are limited in duration) and the limitation in their perfections. Thus, the third way is based on the limitation of duration, and the fourth way is based on the participation of graded and, therefore, limited perfections.

The Five Ways

Saint Augustine

A) Theology

  • Platonism: Existence of two worlds: the world of ideas and the earthly world.
  • Christianity: A world beyond death. Man is made in the image and likeness of God.
  • Participation: Reality involves things of Christian ideas. In Christianity, the concept of participation is key because all beings depend on God.
  • Creation: Something fundamental in Christianity, already preset in the Platonic demiurge.

B) Anthropology

The human being is considered a creature composed of body and soul, both in Christianity and Platonism. The soul is immortal. All the proofs of the immortality of the soul that appear in Christian doctrine are contained in Plato’s Phaedo. The real place of the soul is not this world; it has a place in the other world. According to Plato, souls are judged after death.

Faith and Reason in the Thought of Saint Augustine

  • Faith always comes from the revelation of God.
  • The world of faith is the world of the credible and not demonstrable.
  • Reason: The basis of reason is the senses. Knowledge of reason is demonstrable, not credible.
  • Saint Augustine does not establish frontiers between reason and faith. His position is not arbitrary; it is based on theoretical and practical considerations.
  • Theoretical: The truth is unique; there are no truths of reason and truths of faith.
  • Practical: Non-Christian philosophers try to prove the irrationality of Christianity. Plato considered that with understanding, one could get to know immaterial realities.

Anthropological Roots of the Thought of Saint Augustine

A) Self-Transcendence in the Field of Knowledge

“Truth dwells in the inner man.” Ideas are in the mind of God, and man cannot know them unless God enlightens him and shows him eternal truths.

B) Self-Transcendence in the Field of Will

The ultimate aim is to achieve happiness, and humans cannot reach it in this life. Happiness lies in the encounter with God in the afterlife. The desire of humans is not in this world.